Fate Crossroads
by The Bluefire Phoenix
Summary: A Holy Grail War. A battle fought for one miraculous wish between seven magi. This world was thought to be spared of such destructive battles. But no longer. The Grail will appear somewhere on this planet and only one can claim it. But who will it be? The Good? The Evil? The Unworthy?
1. Prologue

Dull grey bulkheads stretched on for nearly one hundred meters. The lighting in the corridor was cold and sterile. It stank of strong chemical cleaners. Though, the smell wasn't enough to even tickle the nose of a woman dressed in a void black business suit. The only part of her body that was unclothed was her head. Her small feet created massive echoes that reverberated up and down the hall.

The woman held over a dozen thick files in her hand. She reached a heavy metal door with a security pad. The woman promptly typed in a security code. The door began to open with an awful screech thanks to the churning of several gears behind the scenes that lifted it up. There was a pressurizing hiss as the signs of a crack emerged.

It finally stopped and the woman in black quickly stepped inside just before the door closed behind her with a mighty thud. The woman's eyes squinted as she began to acclimate to the pitch black room. Not only was the room difficult to see in, it was deathly quiet too. Her steps inside the chamber barely registered on any sound metric.

"Mistress," the woman called out. Her voice seemed to be adsorbed by the darkness. It took a few more seconds for her eyes finally adjusted to the room. She could make out what at first glance appeared to be a large rock near the center of the chamber. As she approached it, it became clear that the rock was actually an elegant throne carved of single slab of black onyx that was turned away from her. There was a strange light that was being eclipsed by the throne, gaving the room a chilling atmosphere.

A dancing column of smoke began to rise from the other side of the throne. What uneclipsed light there was became filtered through the smoke, creating an odd dance of gaseous particles. The woman walked to the right of the throne, stopping centimeters short of being even with it.

The light was coming from a large hologram of the planet Earth and its moon, both of which were rotating extremely accurately situated a few meters away from the front of the throne. Strange thin white lines were spread over what would have be kilometers on the planet. The lines slowly wormed in unpredictable intervals but were never able to leave a general area.

The woman in the suit frowned. "Please mistress, the doctor insisted that you drop that habit," she said. Her mistress waved a pail, well-manicured hand at her assistant; the end of a large, long, velvety, red robe sleeve dangled midway down her forearm. A cigarette was elegantly held between the hand's middle and index finger.

"After all this time, you decide now is an appropriate moment to fret over a little vice?" the mistress commented in a practiced aristocratic voice.

"I'm sorry, mistress. We've come so far, I'd hate for you to be stopped by some trivial problem," the woman in black retorted. Her mistress took a satisfying drag of the cigarette before lightly chuckling.

"I've made sure that when my treatment is ready, all such 'trivial problems' shall be remedied as well," her mistress assured. She brought the cigarette back up to her ruby lips, which were surrounded by a thick layer of white bandages. The slightest hint of burnt flesh could be seen around the edges of her lips. "But you aren't here to nag me about my health. What news do you have?"

The standing woman cleared her throat. "The relics you wished for have arrived. They are to satisfaction, I assure you," she said.

"I trust the deliverers have been properly compensated?" her mistress asked.

"Their silence is...assured."

"Excellent, anything else?"

"Yes, mistress. I've compiled the list of possible candidates as per your request," she said. Her free hand twitched a bit.

The woman with the cigarette elegantly flourished the burning tobacco. "I sense you're holding back a rant. Please go on," she playfully requested. The other woman sighed.

"This Earth has no Mage's Association let alone proper mages, and the Holy Church is more interested in futile rituals and petty theological squabbles than regulating the little but dangerous magic there is," she explained. "Bottom line: overseeing a Grail War here will be an exceptionally difficult task and given your current state maybe even next to impossible. Perhaps we should wait for you to recover or find another Earth."

The mistress angrily jammed her cigarette into the ash tray built into her throne. "We've waited long enough. Our strength is one hundred fold what it was when we first fled, even in this reduced state. It might take another hundred octillion iterations or more for a world as perfect as this to come up. No my friend, the time is now. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for," she said. She reached into her velvety red robe and pulled out a box of cigarettes.

"Very well mistress, if I can't dissuade you from delaying our mission I must insist that you find a way to delegate managing the Grail War."

The burned woman started to laugh as she popped out a new cigarette. "Your fear for my wellbeing is admiral as always. I do agree I am in no condition to keep the Masters and Servants in line. That's why _you_ will act as my proxy," she said as she lit the tobacco.

"Me?"

"Don't worry; I'll back you up if things get too out of control. But who else is there that I can trust? Who else in this particular world knows the rites and rules better?" the burned woman said. She returned her free hand inside her red robe and gripped a cord that looped around her neck and rested atop her bare breast. A single yank removed the cord from her neck, revealing an ornate silver key tied to it. She lazily offered the trinket to her servant.

The woman in black took a step back. "You cannot be serious m…mistress," she stammered out.

"Don't be coy, dear. If you're going to represent me, you'll need all my tricks."

"But this…that's...that's the..."

"I know and I wouldn't depart with it if I didn't have to. But you said it yourself this world lacks proper mages. While I doubt any of our masters will live long enough to reach the level of even a notable apprentice, it wouldn't sit with me if I didn't give them access to at least a paltry defense," the burned woman

The standing woman took the key, clutching it in her gloved hand. "I will be sure to take the utmost precaution with this burden," she said. "

"Just be sure to make sure nothing gets out. Even the slightest upset to the balance of this world might ruin this entire branch," the woman in the red robe dryly reminded.

"I will not fail you, mistress."

"You never have. Now tell me about all our potential masters…"

The lines squirming on the representation of the Earth began to move faster, even move from their initial location and began to link up with other lines.

 _Based on the work of Type-Moon_

 _The Bluefire Phoenix Present…_

 _Fate/Crossroads_


	2. Chapter 1

_The following is a non-profit, fan work based off the work Type-Moon_

 _All character, events, and ideas belong to their original creators_

 _The Bluefire Phoenix Present…_

 _Fate/Crossroads_

Chapter 1: Illusion

Church bells chimed as the congregation filed out of the pews. They were all dressed in their Sunday best. The pastor was seeing them out at the door. There were smiles and laughter a plenty amongst the flock.

The last family reached the exit. They were the Hume family and it consisted of three members. The obvious head was patriarchal father, James, whose imposing almost two meter tall frame was in the waning years of its prime. His light blonde hair was cut extremely close and almost inhumanly combed. The militaristic appearance of the man was augmented by a strong jaw free of even the hint of facial hair. The suit he wore was impeccably clean; its fit was next to perfect. His blue eyes were steel traps when looking at anything.

His wife, Helena, wore a modest but intricately embroidered pink designer spring dress. Her posture was excellently balanced against her high heels. She clutched a white, large brim hat. The purse delicately draped over her shoulder was a massive name brand bag that looked like it was just out of the box. Her deep red hair was tied up in a thick bun near the back of her head. She had soft, welcoming sea green eyes.

Behind the picture perfect pair was the third member of the trinity, their sixteen year old daughter Diana. Her long brilliant red hair gleamed with a pinkish glow in the late morning sun. She wore white dress that gracefully went down to her ankles. Her face was difficult to turn away from, it having a near perfect balance of round girlish features and the budding development of womanhood around the edges. The hypnotic nature of her angelic face was compounded by her having a softer, enthralling version of her father's eyes. Despite the onset of the afternoon Texas summer sun, the girl had her arms wrapped in a jacket.

The familial patriarch stopped at the door and had a long winded conversation with the pastor. After that the family entered a blue-grey Cadillac and drove through an upscale town to a gated community nearby. The houses were large and extravagant with lush green lawns that were manicured to obsessive levels.

The family went into their elaborate home and the wife began to prepare lunch. Their Sunday lunch was put on hold by the doorbell ringing. The father got up to answer it. He found a woman dressed in an all-black suit, even gloves, wearing thick rimmed glasses over soft emerald eyes.

Diana watched from a polite distance, still clutching her jacket. She could tell that even though the woman in black was a head of so shorter than her father, she was still able to unnerve her father somewhat. She had a presence just standing in the doorway. Her blonde hair cut short all the way around with what little length she had left held in a ponytail.

"May I help you?" James asked. The woman snapped her attention to the man and cleared her throat.

"I apologize for the interruption, Mr. Hume. I am a representative of BUA and I'd like to discuss your daughter," the woman in black greeted. She offered him a crisp business card. The man took it and looked over it. The woman's name was Paige Austin.

"I'm sorry Ms. Austin, but Diana is only sixteen. She's a little young to be thinking about college," Mr. Hume said, trying to hide his confusion.

"I understand sir. However, our symphony conductor saw a clip of her winter recital last week and he is dying to get a commitment from her," the woman in black explained. Diana's ears perked a bit.

James nodded. "Well we appreciate your interest in Diana but it is Sunday, could we reschedule this for another day?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. I have a busy schedule to keep. However..."

A black limo pulled in front of the house. "I would happily discuss all the opportunities we have for Diana over lunch with you, curtesy of the university of course."

"This seems like a lot of effort just to get a violinist," James pointed out. The woman kept a stoic mask.

"Perhaps, but we are looking to get our fine arts department nationally recognized. With a talent like your daughter's, we are certain to get attention," she answered.

James sighed. "Very well, it couldn't hurt," he said. The Hume family followed Ms. Austin to the limo. Inside it was very roomy.

Helena and James sat across from Ms. Austin and Diana, the latter of the two still clutching her jacket. She kept her head slightly down. Her posture drew a glare from her mother. Ms. Austin offered the parents each a glass of water as the vehicle started moving.

They took a sip. But they didn't put it down or keep drinking. They had become living statues. Diana waved her hand in front of their eyes. They didn't so much as blink.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Diana called out. Her parents remained still as the dead. She shot Ms. Austin a panicked glance only to find the woman offering her a glass of water. Diana recoiled at offering. "Where are you taking us?" she asked. Her voice was heavily drenched in a Texas drawl but it wasn't enough to hide the fear in her voice.

Ms. Austin shrugged and put down the water. "We're not really going anywhere. Really, we're just on a drive around town for a while."

"Then what do you want?" Diana hissed.

"A private chat with you of course. I was concerned that the potion I made wasn't going to work on them. Then I'd probably wind up having to cast some sort of sleep spell and it would just be one thing after another at that point," she said. Diana blinked, looking at her parents then back to Ms. Austin.

"Spells? Potions? What are you? Some—some kind of wi…witch?" she asked. Sweat began to work its way onto her soft skin. Ms. Austin gave a light, polite laugh.

"No, Ms. Hume. My mistress is the real 'witch.' What I do is nothing more than cheap parlor tricks meant the amusement of children in comparison to her power," Austin said. She locked her gloved hands together.

Diana curled up in her seat, wrapping her arms around her legs. "The Bible says not to consort with sorcerers and witches," she started saying as a sort of mantra. Her body started to rock to and fro. She worked hard from looking at the Austin. The other woman gave a bemused laugh.

"Do tell me, when did they appear?" Austin mused. She removed her glasses from her face. Diana's eyes widened with fear as the other woman's head turned its gaze upon her.

"Wha…what are you talking about?" Diana asked, failing miserably to sound like she wasn't trying to hide something. Ms. Austin's face was covered by an expression of sarcastic annoyance.

"There is no need to hide it from me, Ms. Hume."

Tears started to roll down Diana's face. "Please stop," the girl sobbed. "Let me go...let me go."

"Please Ms. Hume; I just need to confirm it. Now let me see it."

Diana's right hand clenched. Her cheeks reddened as she pulled said hand out from under her jacket and presented it to Austin. The other woman gently grabbed the petite hand. On it was a red tattoo in the shape of a heart that was divided into three separate sections.

"Beautiful. Truly beautiful Ms. Hume," Austin commented.

"What is it?" Diana asked with actual curiosity.

"They are your Command Seals, Ms. Hume. They mark you as a Mage worthy of being Master," Austin said.

"No, no, no I can't be a witch. I'm a good girl! I'm a Christian girl!" Diana bawled.

"Your perception of your own morality and label has nothing to do with this. Coursing through your veins is the blood of a Mage."

"But I don't want this! Take them off of me! Take it all!" Diana screamed. Austin shook her head, expressing legitimate sadness.

"You've been selected, Ms. Hume. Not even my mistress has the power to undo the binding."

"There has to be something!"

"There is only one way to remove them: win the Holy Grail War."

A horrified frown marred Diana's face. Austin rubbed the top of her right temple. "It isn't the actual Cup of Christ. What it _is_ , is an omnipotent wish granter," she explained. "Anything you want, the grail will rewrite the universe itself to give it to you. All you need do is defeat the six other Masters and their Servants."

Diana started to tremble. "You would have me participate in a pagan farce! This 'Holy Grail War' is nothing but mockery of his holy word! The work of the devil himself! Only god has that kind of power! You offer nothing but lies and death!" she decreed in a panicked voice.

Austin scratched her forehead. "While I cannot force you to participate, you are still a target. I must recommend that you do if only to protect yourself," she suggested.

"The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen me and guard me from evil," Diana mechanically retorted. Austin just sighed at the quote.

"Very well, Ms. Hume, I respect your decision," the woman relented. "But take this. In a few weeks you'll thank me. Or be dead." Austin handed Diana a small pendant. It consisted of a great red dragon with a long sword running through its back and out the other side. The golden chain it was attached to connected at the pommel of the sword.

"Good luck…"

Diana looked around. She was in her night gown sitting on her bed. The sun had set. The heart shaped Command Seals were still prominently displayed on her right hand, the dragon pendant clutched in it. She started slamming her fist against her bed.

The girl spent most of the night trying to destroy the pendant. But no blow seemed to so much as scratch it. When she tried to flush it down the toilet, her hand refused to let it go.

In the weeks that followed the appearance of Paige Austin, Diana's parents never once mentioned her or that meal that didn't seemed to have happened. The Hume's continued their weekly trips to church. Every Wednesday and Sunday the three could be found in the pews, usually near the front. Diana worked hard to keep her shame a secret, from feigning injury to simply wearing gloves when her jacket wasn't available.

As she sat in the vast sea of chairs, Diana remembered back to when she was a girl. Going to church was the most important part of the week. The night before was usually spent determining what she wanted to wear. But it wasn't vanity that drove the decision. She wanted to look her best when in the house of the lord. While other children spent the morning service counting the seconds, Diana always excited to her the words of the lord read and discussed. She recalled the feelings of elation whenever the works of her savior were brought up or the tales of the lord's hand winning the day for the Israelite people. She also recalled the songs and the rhymes that inspired her to be her best.

Now Diana barely put a seconds thought into what she would wear so long as it wasn't questionable. She found herself checking her watch on rather alarming basis when waiting for the service to finally end. When ever great deeds were brought up the pastor's words became hollow, the moral lesson derived from the tale it sounded like a trite platitudes jammed between images of hellish nightmare and gentle dreams. Every note that came from the choir or band blended together into a bland paste, every lyric a self indulgent iteration of the same core concept.

Every day she went to the church, the worse those feelings became. Something felt like it was stabbing her in the heart. Each amen she said was a little louder than the last; yet all she did was drive that invisible blade in a little further. She started secretly clutching the dragon pendant more and more often during her time at church. At night, she spent hours looking at the Command Seals on her hand and Austin's business card in her other. Sometimes she'd pull out her cellphone. She'd punch in the number, her thumb hovered over the dial button. At the last second she'd stop and drop to her knees with her hands locked.

Her nightly prayers became pleads for more faith, her daily prayers for more conviction. But none ever came. Eventually she requested another baptism from the pastor, hoping that the cleansing waters would wash away the…guilt she felt. He obliged and the two waded into the church's baptismal pool the next Sunday.

The pastor proclaimed the blessing of the trinity and dunked the girl then brought her back up. All Diana felt was wet. None the less she put on a fake smile for the applause given for her. Even though she couldn't see the smile, Diana knew that it was the end.

The following Wednesday, during the opening prayer, the girl stood up and ran out of the church. Her cheeks were bright red and tears rolled down her cheeks as she went up the aisle. James gave chase after her, giving her enough space to allow her to get out of the building before catching up to her in the parking lot. Diana was wearing the same white dress she wore on the day things started to unravel.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" her father asked. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can talk to me."

Diana felt his honest warmth from behind her. The girl placed her left hand on top of her Command Seals, the hand they were on tightly clenching the dragon pendant. "Daddy, I..."

The girl felt adrenaline flood her veins and her eyes widen as she heard a horrific sound of breaking bones and manly groan directly behind her. She took a couple steps forward and turned around.

A tall white man in black was bashing in her father's head with a baseball bat.

Diana screamed at the top of her lungs, stepping back even more. She watched as blood poured from the gapping crater that had been forced into the side of her father's skull. The light in his eyes gasped for life before finally giving out. His assailant only stopped once the wooden club shattered. His eyes had an unnatural red ring around his brown irises.

The assailant threw aside the bat's handle and pulled out a knife. Diana felt her heart crawl up her throat as the man approached her. Fear paralyzed her. She felt a stinging pain in her abdomen. Her eyes met those of the man who had stabbed her. The man was gone, taken over by some primal urge that couldn't be overridden.

The blade was withdrawn from Diana. The girl started to run, discarding her heels as she went. She aimed for the small patch of forest that made up a small neighborhood nature preserve. Blood leaked out of her wound, staining her dress crimson.

Her attacker continued to pursue, searching everywhere through the woods in the setting sun. Diana didn't get far before the man was on her trail again. Her heart raced as the last vestiges of sunlight slipped under the horizon, leaving the full moon to reign over the night.

The soles of her feet ached as the tender flesh was pierced by things lying in the undergrowth. Her balance gave out and Diana tripped. She rolled down a hill, adding a layer of dirt to her already ruined dress.

Diana scrambled away as the assailant jumped down after her. She ended up with her back against a tree only a few meters away from her soon to be murderer. She clenched her pendant hard.

"Someone please…please help me," she pleaded to anyone who would listen. She felt the pendant shatter in her hands. Her hand let the shards of glass go. They were glowing along with the blood on her dress.

The wind began to pick up in the woods, scattering the shards of glass. A blinding golden light erupted. The assailant screamed in pain as his arm flew off from his body. He tried to retreat but was cut down with a single strike right across his chest. The man fell to the ground, the odd red ring around his irises disappeared.

Diana felt her vision go dim a bit. Her breathing became ragged. The Command Seals on her right hand were glowing. Someone else was standing in front of her. Someone with golden hair, dressed in armor.

Silence fell over the grove. The stranger faced Diana, their armored boots clanging with each step.

"I ask you, are you worthy to be…my Master?"

 _To be Continued..._

* * *

A/N: Hello, thanks for checking this out. This is where I usually discuss an overall theme or idea I'd like to explore for my projects. Well for Crossroads, I'm going to be more vague and let the work speak for itself. My personal goal is to tell an epic, well told story. So I'd really appreciate some feedback from you guys.

If it hasn't become abundantly clear for you, this is not following a particular continuity. As we go on you'll see why. So obviously Ms. Hume is an OC. Her conception started with a totally tangential question: in the context of the Harry Potter franchise, how would a devout member of the Church of England react if their child was called to attend Hogwarts? While I don't intend to act on this question specifically, it did lead to a more general question: how would a devout Christian react to the actual existence of magic? This question laid the ground work for the character of Diana Hume.

Like I said any feed back you give will be really appreciated and I'll be sure to address any issues or questions you might have.


	3. Chapter 2

_The following is a non-profit, fan work based off the work Type-Moon_

 _All character, events, and ideas belong to their original creators_

 _The Bluefire Phoenix Present…_

 _Fate/Crossroads_

Chapter 2: The Prodigal Gambit

A gentle summer breeze past through the woods. A dead dismembered man was lying on his back, his body still oozing blood. The last flickering of a sun like brightness was fading. The full moon shined down illumining the small clearing.

Diana Hume was huddled against a tree covered in her own blood. Her blue stared up at something she couldn't believe.

A man with golden hair and gilded plate armor like some kind of knight was standing before her. The crimson cloak on his back reached down to his hips. His green eyes shimmered in the moonlight.

The knight wielded an elegant long sword. It was made out of a type of bluish steel that Diana didn't recognize. Its hilt was a blend of ornate finery and battlefield practicality, bearing a lion motif.

Diana felt her head go light. The golden haired man knelt down. He examined her wound, carefully trying not to touch her.

While the man was easy to look at, Diana couldn't focus on him. Her thoughts were occupied with his question. Images of her father's dead body and Austin's warning surfaced the more she tried to come up with an answer. Her heart felt like it was going to eat itself. A kick in her stomach caused her to vomit. The bile further ruined her dress. The girl began to violently sob.

"Master please, you need to be silent. There might be others still looking for you," the man warned. He placed a hand on the girl. She was able to stop her crying. "Alright your wound isn't mortal but it needs to be properly bandaged." He started taking in their surroundings.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Diana whispered. "I'm so sorry."

The man cocked an eyebrow then shook his head. "It's alright," the man responded. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. "I'll get you to the hospital."

The man leapt up meters over the trees and landed on the roof of a house in a nearby neighborhood. He quickly moved as fast as he could from roof to roof, barely leaving a dent on them. Eventually he reached a business district and jumped from mini-mall to mini-mall instead until a major highway junction between the two and their goal. Even at night there was ton of traffic flowing. He took Diana under a smaller overpass.

They reached a large hospital complex. The knightly man gently placed Diana in front of the emergency room and disappeared into several red wisps that faded as a couple of duty nurses came out to help the girl.

Diana was stitched up and in a rest area before long. Her mother was on her way. The strange man rematerialized next to her in the absence of other people. "Thank you," Diana said.

"Of course. You are my Master. If you die, I die," he said.

Diana blinked. "I thought you said it wasn't a mortal wound?"

"The sentiment is the same. Our fates our linked now, Master. My sword creates your destiny," the knight said.

Something shuffled outside. The Servant dissipated as a nurse entered the room. Her walk was mechanical and had a glowing red border around her eyes. She held out a walky-talky. The knight returned and grabbed the communicator. The nurse promptly left.

The knight examined the technology a moment then hit the talk button. "I take it you are one of those responsible in the attempted assassination of my Master?" he asked. He kept his voice below a growl.

Light mocking laughter seeped through the speaker. "And you must be the Servant that interfered in my assassination attempt. A pleasure to meet a fellow Servant and seeing as you're the last of us to be summoned, you must be our Saber," an arrogant aristocratic voice announced.

"Since you know so much about me, perhaps you can tell me whom I'm addressing" Saber asked.

"That is classified I'm afraid," the voice said.

"So what do you want? You've failed once already. I'd really hate to make it twice in the same night."

"I agree, and since the lovely Ms. Hume summoned you before she could die I have proposition for you: an alliance between our teams."

Saber turned to his Master. Diana weakly motioned for the radio. She gripped it as tight as she could. "You ordered the death of my daddy?" she asked.

"I meant to kill your whole family as you were leaving church, apparent revenge for one of your father's backroom dealings. But he's collateral damage at this point I'm afraid."

"Collateral damage? He was my father and you had him killed right in front of me!"

"Don't act like you're the only one who's had such tragedy thrown upon them. You're letting your feelings get in the way. You are in the weakest position of the seven Masters. This might very well be the only break you'll get in this war," the Servant suggested.

Diana started to quake. She remembered her father's end. Her mind focused on the only positive thought she could muster: consolation was in knowing that he had died ignorant of her faltering faith. It wasn't much but it calmed her down a bit. She sharply inhaled. "Mark my words, whoever you are. You will pay for what you took from my family," she coldly answered.

"Please be smart about this, Ms. Hume. We can provide safety while you train. You need us."

"No I don't! I have Saber and he will take me to victory!" Diana shouted.

The Servant let out another mocking laugh. "Very well. Should we ever come face to face, I will carry out my duty as a Servant and end _you_ ," the Servant warned. The radio went dead.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Saber asked.

Diana started to quake, letting the radio hit the ground and pop into several pieces. Her heart rate rose at an alarming rate. She ducked over side of her bed and threw up again. The girl finally got a grip and looked up at her servant. "Probably not. But I'm not going to work with that...monster," she gnashed.

Saber nodded. "Are you alright?" he inquired.

"No. But I want to know why did that man attack instead of the Servant?"

Her own Servant shrugged. "I suspect that it was one of his Noble Phantasm. Probably something to do with mind control or domination. If so, we should be wary until we know its limits."

"Noble what?"

"Phantasm. Each Servant is allowed three based on their history, class, and the summoning spell used."

Diana's head slunk down. "I'm just not cut out for this. These Servants and Masters and Noble whatsits, they all go right over my head," she admitted.

"Don't discount yourself, Master. The Grail picked you because it thought you _are_ worthy of it, but perhaps the Overseer could help us. If you think it would help," Saber suggested.

"The Over…"

The girl was cut off by the approach of footsteps, Saber dissipating. Helena Hume staggered into the room. Her makeup was completely ruined, beautiful red hair frazzled and frayed. The dress she wore was crumpled and wrinkled.

Helena collapsed into a nearby chair, throwing her head into her daughters and began to weep profusely. Diana gently weaved her fingers through her mother's hair. She gently shushed, whispering how everything would be okay. Her mother begged forgiveness from…whoever would give it.

A police officer from the Colleyville entered after Helena. "I'm sorry to disturb you Ms. Hume, but I'd like to get your testimony," he said. Diana took a deep breath.

"I don't know his face, he didn't say anything, and I don't know why he attacked," she recited off the top of her head.

"And how did you get to this hospital?"

"I'm not sure. I just woke up here."

"Are you sure you want this to be your official testimony, Ms. Hume?" the officer asked.

"Yes. Now please let me and my mother be," Diana requested. The officer nodded and left. Diana felt her Servant relax just a bit. His focus was on Helena now.

All throughout the night her mother told her how everything was going to be fine and that she scheduled a meeting with their pastor. Helena's quasi-rammbling went on until she finally fell asleep at Diana's side.

The next afternoon found Diana home in her bed, dressed in a clean nightgown. Her mother was out making arrangements for her father's funeral. She wanted to be there with her mother, but alas her stitching didn't need to be exerted so much. So she sat on her bed looking at Austin's business card.

Saber was patrolling the perimeter of the house. With a deep breath after a long throat clearing, she dialed the number. The call went out for what must have been an eternity.

"Ah, Ms. Hume. What can I help you with today?" Austin asked.

"Did you order my death?" Diana asked. She kept her voice steady.

"Ms. Hume, that action would violate my role as Overseer and I would be dismissed," Austin said.

"So you had nothing to do with my father's death?"

"I warned you Ms. Hume. If you wish, I'd happily help you summon a Servant for your protection."

"No thank you, I have my Servant already."

"What?"

"You heard me. I command the Saber Servant, whatever that means; and be aware that if I find you were complicit…"

Diana stopped mid-sentence. She heard a thud followed by the patter of feet against stone.

The phone was sitting on its back atop an impressive hand carved wooden desk, still on the call. The desk was in a small office that overlooked a massive chamber. Austin was tearing through a labyrinthine stone hallway lit only by torches that gave off no smoke. She was bare foot, wearing only a white undershirt and her black dress pants, the silver key bouncing every which way on her chest. Without all her usual garb, about a dozen Command Seals were visible running down hear arms, with on in particular on her right hand. Said right hand had to keep the pants up she was missing her belt as well. Even hampered so, she was able to move at an incredible pace.

Austin stopped at a great wooden door. She placed a hand on a metal plate with a similar indent on it. The plate glowed along with the silver key, the door cracked.

The door creaked open enough for the woman to sneak through the opening. She entered a large study. Tomes filled with slightly yellowed pages were piled high, blocking several of the filled bookshelves. A large computer set up on the only clear desk in the chamber and it was the only object not covered in dust. Behind the desk was an elaborate circle made of embedded precious stones and

Austin braced herself against her knees a moment, taking several deep breaths. She yanked her pants up before standing up. The stones in the circle lit up when she stepped into the center of them. A portal opened up underneath her and she sunk into it.

The woman rose out of a similar portal in a dull grey room. Once she was all the way through the portal receded beneath her. It revealed an identical circle of stones. Austin continued her awkward run through several corridors of bulkheads. She stopped at an ominous set of stairs that descended deep into a small abyss.

She didn't let it slow her down. Her bare feet barely made a sound as she delved into what could only be described as a crypt. It was bathed in a deep blue light. Austin walked past three onyx sarcophagi before stopping behind her mistress who was standing in front of a fourth sarcophagus.

Her mistress wasn't particularly tall. Actually she was rather short, standing a few extra centimeters above a meter and a half. Her head was encased in fresh bandages and a half empty wine glass was elegantly gripped in her right hand. She was still wearing a red robe that gathered into velvety pools behind her feet.

Austin chewed her lip as her master took a sip of her drink. The woman took a quick glance at Austin before returning her gaze to the stone coffin. "Have you forgotten where the baths are already?" she asked.

"No mistress, it is about the War," Austin explained. Her cheeks reddened a bit and hiked her pants up a couple of centimeters.

"Have things derailed so soon? I don't think there's been a kill yet," the other woman commented.

"The seventh Servant has been summoned."

The red robed woman slowly nodded. "While I like to be updated, you could've put your clothes back on first."

"In any other circumstance I would have waited for tomorrow."

Austin's mistress's head curiously twitched. "And what circumstances have you running to me half dressed?" the woman in bandages asked. She began to swirl her wine glass a bit before taking another drink.

Austin took a deep breath. "The last Master, Diana Hume, she summoned a Servant without a Circle," she said.

Her mistress's fingers strummed her glass. "Do you have proof of this claim?"

"No, but she hasn't had prior contact with any of the Masters and I didn't teach her the ritual."

"You're speculating. I don't care for speculation."

"I know mistress, but there doesn't seem to be another logical explanation."

"Then look into it and find out the truth."

Diana was getting antsy. Sweat began to form on her brow. Austin had been gone for almost a minute. The girl contemplated redialing and was about to when she heard panting from the other side. There was a final deep breath followed by a throat clearing.

"Ms. Hume?" Austin asked.

"I'm still here," Diana coldly responded.

"Apologies, something came up. Can I help you then?"

"I want to learn more about… well all of this," Diana admitted.

"Very well, when do you want to meet?"

"After my daddy's funeral, I'll linger for a bit after it's over."

"Very well. I'll keep an eye out," Austin said.

The phone went silent. Diana set it down and curled up. Her eyes went to her nightstand. On it was an old NIV Bible. The book was beat half to death with all years of use. Her heart raced as she picked it up.

She skimmed to a verse that was beaten in to the congregation over the years. "Do not allow a sorceress to live," she whispered. The girl looked at her Command Seals. She then looked back to the verse. The words were unchanged. Those were the immutable words of her god.

They seemed to stare up at her, mocking her very existence. Each letter in the verse laughed at her. The girl reached out and grabbed a pen from her nightstand. Her hand hovered over the page, ready to scribble out the words. Every time she got close her hand recoiled to the flash of a memory. It was usually a vision of her reading from the very book she was trying to deface to her father when she was just a little girl. She saw the proud look in his eyes as she struggled to pronounce some of the odder the names.

"I don't think those are wise words for you to live by, Master," Saber said as he materialized at the foot of her bed. Diana tossed aside the pen and slammed the book shut, bringing it close to her chest.

"My family has lived for generations by them. I've lived my entire life by them," Diana retorted. "Now look at me." Her right hand clenched.

Saber folded his arms over his chest. "Master, what exactly would you wish for should we win?" he asked.

Diana turned to the sky. "I'd wish that I never was a Mage. Then things can go back the way they were. Daddy will be alive and I can go back to being a good Christian girl."

"That's all, just restore the old order? Erasing our meeting and all our victories."

"Disappointed by the selfishness?"

Saber scoffed a laugh at the question. "Not particularly. I'm more surprised that you wouldn't simply wish for your father back."

Diana's right hand began to twitch. "How am I supposed to live with him, knowing what I am now?" she growled.

"He's your father, he should love you no matter what you turn out to be," Saber noted.

"I know, and he'd be ostracized by the whole church for it. It isn't fair that he suffer for what I am, this...this abomination in the eyes of the lord."

"Master..."

"Just go, Saber. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"As you wish Master."

 _To be Continued..._

* * *

A/N: If I may start, Exodus 22:18 (The verse Diana read) is by far the oddest placed verse I've ever come across. The writers put it smack dab in between a verse discussing how a man has to pay for taking the virginity of an unmarried girl and what to do with someone who commits bestiality. It honestly sounds like its the center of a skit that got cut from The Life of Brian.

Now onto the important stuff. Namely establishing the relationship between Diana and Saber. I'm interested to see how it goes, especially given that Masters and Servants can peak into each others minds. I'm not sure where their relationship should go exactly so at this point it'll be in a bit of flux.

As for Diana herself, I'm not sure how sympathetic she's going to get. On the one hand, her father was murdered in front of her and she's basically become something her religion hates. On the other hand, she's an upper middle class white girl from the suburbs of North Texas. I don't want to continually beat the crap out of her, because then the character becomes a useless punching bag for the other characters. But if things go right for her too much or too fast, then the tragedy and sympathy is lost.

The scene between Austin and her mistress looks as out of place as the earlier mentioned verse, but I think it works. One of the things I want to avoid having a situation where Character A tells Character B information we already know in the same manner over and over. I think it strips out the humanity of there interaction. So while yes the scene is funny, it also reminds us that the character isn't some _Übermensch_ that is married to their job. We see that even they have vulnerable moments. I also want to avoid the "Impossible!" remark that sets in motion the destruction of so many characters. Especially when the person speaking of an incredible event didn't actually see it.

The next chapter will close out Diana's part of the story at the moment and chapter 4 will pick up with a new Master.


	4. Chapter 3

_The following is a non-profit, fan work based off the work Type-Moon_

 _All character, events, and ideas belong to their original creators_

 _The Bluefire Phoenix Present…_

 _Fate/Crossroads_

Chapter 3: Knowledge is…

It had been less than two days since the death of James Hume. It felt as if the whole of North Texas was on fire in the wake. With no suspect identified the search was on.

A pair of officers was combing the nature preserve not far from the scene of the crime. It was about midday under the Texas sun. The only reprieve was the lack of cicadas chirping. They were about to call it quits when one of them spotted a woman in black standing over what appeared to be a man.

Her blond hair was tied in a professional bun. She wore thick glasses. Gloved hands were examining something on the ground.

The officers approached. They could now make out that the man had a massive gash across his jest and his arm was amputated. Decomposition was starting to set in. The woman looked up from her examination.

"Excuse me ma'am but I need you to step away," one of the officers insisted.

The woman did so. She brushed off her hands. "I believe this is the man you're looking for, gentlemen," she said. The officers continued to approach. Her phone sounded an alarm. She turned it off and started walking away. "Sorry for leaving so soon, but I have a funeral to crash."

The officers tried to follow her but it was as if she had vanished. They gave each other a bewildered look.

The funeral of James Hume saw a huge public out pouring. It dominated the local airwaves. It was center of even the most mundane conversation. There wasn't a soul in the Metroplex who hadn't heard the news.

The wake had been huge, even though it was a closed casket affair. Diana Hume spent hours sitting with her mother in the front row of their church, receiving condolences from just about everyone. Little did they know, an invisible being was floating above her. It was her familiar, her Servant, an unseen expression of her blasphemy. He was waiting for anyone who made a move against her. His presence was somewhat unnecessary given the intense level of police presence in the building.

Diana didn't care for the dress she wore. It was long sleeved and black. The only thing that seemed to have worked out was that she could still wear gloves. Still, the mixture of high humidity and the Texas heat made the entire getup extremely unbearable even in the oasis of air conditioning inside the church.

Wave after wave of well-wishers continued to visit the ladies. Each time a young man shook Diana's hand; her mother would make a quick comment about how handsome he was or chide her about how she handled the moment. Diana nodded in agreement to everything she said.

An entry in the opposite category of handsome boys finally made his appearance. James's brother John was approaching. While Diana didn't understand her mother's obsession with all the handsome young men, she did understand why most everyone found John repulsive.

He was a very portly man several years older than Diana's father. Most of the hair on the top of his head had fallen away; leaving a poorly cared for scalp behind. What hair was left was greasy from years of bad dye jobs. His nose was just off center enough to be distracting if looking at him. He looked as if he was about to burst into a puddle of sweat with each belabored step. His suit and tie looked like it had been just pulled out the bottom drawer and hadn't been to the cleaner in years.

After a tearful bout with John came the next in line. Diana straightened up when she recognized who it was. "Ms. Austin, I wasn't expecting to see you again," Helena said. Indeed Austin was standing there in her all-black outfit.

"I was horrified when I heard about the murder of your husband. Rest assured that once this is over, I will do all in my power to make sure that Diana has a place at BUA," Austin said. She shook Helena's hand whilst giving Diana an evil glare. The girl ignored the look as best she could.

She spent the rest of the wake feeling Austin's stare on her face. It was mercifully over by noon and her father's body was being driven to the cemetery for its final resting. The funeral started about a half hour later, after the last of the invited arrived.

There were a few eulogies said. John, Helena, the Pastor, and a couple of James's friends gave their piece before a final prayer was said. The casket was lowered into the grown and buried. Slowly the mourners began to depart. Diana insisted on staying a little longer, saying she'd be home later. Her mother let her be.

Lingering on the edge was Austin, who approached once the last of the mourners had left. Saber materialized as the woman approached. His golden armor gleamed in the afternoon sun.

Diana watched the two. It was like looking at a set of twins. Austin while shorter than Saber by a head still looked eerily similar. Both were blonde, though Saber's was a tad darker. Both had emerald like eyes that were marred by a certain world weariness. That was about the end of the common ground. Austin's face was rounder compared to the clean, sharp face of Saber. The knight's hair was a wavy, free flowing mane while Austin's hair was tightly wound up in a bun with no lock out of place.

"So Ms. Hume, I see you have indeed summoned a Servant. Quite the achievement considering I never showed you how," Austin commented in a rather accusatory tone.

"I'm sorry, it just happened alright. I was scared and bleeding and didn't know what to do. I just called for help," Diana whispered.

Austin turned to Saber. "And you were able to oblige?" she asked the man. Saber nodded.

"How can one resist the call to fight in the Grail War? Unfortunately without the proper ritual, our agreement is tacit and thus incomplete. I can barely able to maintain this form with how weak the mana feed from her is. I need to avoid using any of my other Noble Phantasms and prolonged fights until we can fix it," he said. The woman eyed the girl for a moment.

"You Master must be something else, Saber. Any ordinary mage could easily have died from such a risky move."

"The capabilities of my Master are perhaps impressive, but not important at the moment."

Austin stepped forward and coldly analyzed the knight. "Maybe to you, though I suppose it's because you are grateful that the Assassin Class was already claimed. Personally, I don't think white suits you," she purred.

Saber clenched his fist. "This is not about me, Overseer. This is about aiding my Master."

Diana noticed something off in the way the knight spoke that she found whilst he was speaking with someone else. His English was off in a way. Not in the "ye olden English" sense. It sounded more like a blend of British and American fighting for dominance.

"Yes, yes. You're right," Austin asked. She took off a silver key pendant that was hidden by her shirt. Diana could feel a powerful energy roll off of the simple key. "Shall we begin?

The girl defiantly shook her head. "Not here. I won't have my father's grave defiled by magic," Diana said. She kept her voice calm.

"As you wish," Austin complied. The trio went deeper into a small unused patch of ground. Austin held out the key as if she were opening a door. She turned it to the left and a crack in reality emerged! It grew wider and wider, creating an archway into what could only be described as another dimension.

Austin stepped aside to let the shocked Diana and the almost apathetic Saber through. They stepped into a stone corridor that went on for several meters and was lined with bizarre to downright otherworldly antiques. The woman followed them in, allowing the archway to close behind them. It left only a stone wall, with a metal plate indented with a hand placed near the center of it.

The Master and Servant followed Austin down the hall, lit by torches that sparked to life as they approached.

They finally reached a set of massive wooden doors. Austin parted them, unveiling an impossibly large domed chamber. It was filled with spiraling book shelves that reached up to the point no one could see their tops.

"This is the Library Aeternum. It's the repository of everything my mistress and I have collected. Any question of the arcane that you have, likely has an answer here," Austin explained. The group descended deeper into the library. "This is about as far as I can help you, I'm afraid. The only other thing I'm permitted to do is assist in summoning. Since that's taken care of, I'll give you the most important rule: your Command Seals can compel your Servant to do whatever you say. You can do this three times. After that, your pact with the Servant is over as well as your status as a Master."

"That's good to know," Diana sniped.

Austin narrowed her eyes. "One more thing Ms. Hume: don't fight in the public eye. It will make everything so much easier for all of us. Trust me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Diana spat.

"Be careful though. This place is far larger than it seems. But it is still as much a battlefield as any other. When you are ready to leave, give me a call."

Diana nodded. "I understand."

Austin smirked before taking her leave and disappeared around a corner.

"What's the plan then, Master?" Saber asked. Diana gave her Servant her full attention.

"I want to go back to the whole not being able to fight thing," The girl demanded.

Saber's face feigned offense. "You were burdened with your injury and the death of your father. I didn't want you to worry about your safety as well. But you were never in danger, Master. I promise you," he said.

Diana crossed her arms. "I still would've liked to know. We're partners and need to communicate," she said.

"Yes, master."

The two started wandering the halls until they came across a small alcove that was filled with papers and books. Diana started to look through them as Saber stood watch. It looked more like an abandoned campsite than anything else.

Candy wrappers were strewn around the alcove's small desk. Crumpled papers were scattered everywhere. Diana picked up one of the wrappers. It was dated almost three weeks ago. It took the girl a minute to realize that it wasn't dated in the American fashion. Examination of the notes showed that whoever set up this little study camp was someone who could write in German. All the notes were in German actually. There were the occasional pictures too. Usually circles with elaborate interiors. The only other thing drawn was what appeared to be some sort of stylized sword with a jagged L attached the ends of the crossguard.

What made Diana's heart pound was a stash of cloths, food, and water that had been stashed away and was still untouched. There were several slash marks all over the place. She grabbed a couple of the tomes and rushed back to Saber.

"Let's go, please," she begged. Saber cocked an eyebrow.

"Did you get everything you need?" he asked.

"I don't know but I don't like it here so let's please just go," Diana continued to persist.

The two continued to travel through the quiet city like walkways of the Library Aeternum. They settled in an open area filled with tables, illuminated by glowing balls of light. Diana began reading. Unfortunately when she opened the book she realized she couldn't read it. It was written in Latin or something similar.

Saber patted her shoulder and pointed to a display of glasses at the other end. "I don't need glasses," Diana said.

"Just try them, see if they have some kind of translation spell on them," Saber said.

"Oh right…magic," Diana grumbled. She grabbed a pair of glasses and returned to her book. Sure enough she could read! The girl got cracking, unintentionally letting time slip by. Saber was off scouting for resources and threats.

The book was rather bland. More like a textbook than anything else. But it contained some of what the girl needed. The gloomy nature of the place started to seep in the longer she stayed there. Silence dominated the place to the point Diana had to continuously whisper things to herself to keep from being suffocated by it. She swore that thousands of tiny eyes were watching her.

The paranoia and sense of defenselessness finally forced her to stop studying the circle and look for some kind of magical solution. She found a tome marked with a flame insignia not far from what had become their base for the moment. In it she was able to find a fire ball spell. She read the description and mimicked the hand gesture, curl in her pinky and ring fingers on her right hand while keeping her other two fingers and thumb up.

She lifted the gesture up and flung it forward. Nothing happened. Diana bit her lips. She started focusing on the gesture. A strange tingling sensation claimed her hand.

The girl flung her hand forward. A small spark leapt from her hand into the air. It was unimpressive to look at but it was a start. She practiced it a couple of more times before stopping. She felt dizzy, like she had been running around for a bit then stopped.

Diana eventually stumbled back to base and got back to her original research, feeling a bit better in the absence of her Servant. Once he returned she started to create a circle using blood collected from an alchemy set Saber found about a quarter of a mile away. Diana found the whole act profane and repulsive, but she recited what she remembered from Job. She would endure the sins and blasphemy, knowing that in the end she would be forgiven once more.

The spell was nearly complete. The Command Seals on her hand started to glow from underneath her glove. Diana removed it before continuing. Saber took his place at the center of the circle. All that was left was the words, the words of a magical pact that would officiate what had started on the fateful night of her Father's murder.

"Heed my words," Diana started. "My will creates your body."

A whitish-blue glow started coming from the circle.

"Your sword creates my destiny."

"If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason the answer my summoning!"

"I accept your contract," the knight in gold answered. The glow that surrounded him turned into a column that matched the bookshelves for height.

Saber felt his Master's power in that moment. The whole room felt it, shaking a bit. He felt the tiny bond that thus far tether him rip open into a torrent of energy. His existence felt revitalized.

Diana collapsed to her knees. Saber rushed to her side once everything was complete. The girl was spent. He found a nice secluded spot for her to rest while he stood watch.

However he heard something not far away. He looked at his Master and chewed his lip. She was safe enough here and he would be right back.

Saber set off to where he heard the sound. He was reward with the sight of a woman. She had dark skin and curly black hair that was tied in a low ponytail. The woman was also a Master given the winged red crest on her hand. She was on her hands and knees trying to put back some books that had fallen off the shelf.

The Servant could feel the presence of his own kind nearby. But this was a golden opportunity. Saber swiftly approached and drew his blade, putting it right on the woman's neck. "I apologize, madam," he said as he was about to cut.

He felt another blade slide near his own neck. Saber resisted the urge to swear and turned to face what must have been the master's Servant.

It turned out to be a rather buxom woman with long black hair and fair skin, dressed in a low cut red and blue leotard was wielding the weapon that threatened his life. She also wore a golden tiara and protected her arms with shiny silver bracers. The woman was also nearly as tall as Saber. The weapon she wielded was a silver spear. "What's the matter? Weren't expecting woman who fights back?" the new Servant asked.

"I wasn't expecting said woman to be dressed so…how to put it? Unarmored?" Saber mused. He kept his face from producing any kind of movement. The tip of the spear moved closer to his jugular.

"You don't need armor if your opponent can't hit you," the woman insisted.

"I suppose not...Lancer, I presume?" Saber asked.

"Saber!" Diana called out. She was moving rather slow, but she had her hand held out like she was displaying some kind of martial art. Even from over fifteen yards away, Saber could hear her struggle for death.

The distraction was enough to allow Saber to slip out from under the spear woman and get between her and his Master. "You shouldn't be here Master," Saber warned.

"You shouldn't have left me. We're a team remember," she said.

Saber was about to respond but Lancer charged him before he could. He locked his sword against the spear. Their eyes met for a moment. They broke off, taking position near their respective Masters; waiting for their order.

The knight couldn't help but feel excited. This was to be his first fight, his first victory in his quest. His foe wasn't going to be easy. This woman was no slouch. Her posture was excellent. Even the grip on her spear looked like she had been born with it in hand.

Lancer finally made the first move, charging forward. Saber braced for the assault, formulating his countermoves. Their battle cries momentarily broke the perpetual silence of the Library Aeternum.

 _To be Continued..._

* * *

A/N: So as I said, this will close out the start of Diana's story. We'll be moving on to another Master next time. Three guesses as to who.

I've been rather pleased with the way Diana's coming so far. I've been trying to avoid indulging in total angst with her. Emotional turmoil is no doubt important to her character, but to always dwell on that would be annoying.

I'd like to hear some feedback before I get cracking on the next chapter. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 4

_The following is a non-profit, fan work based off the work Type-Moon_

 _All character, events, and ideas belong to their original creators_

 _The Bluefire Phoenix Present…_

 _Fate/Crossroads_

Chapter 4: Empiricism

The Las Vegas night in its full opulent glory was a beacon of defiance against the merciless desert that skirted its edges and snaked to the horizon. Music and the sounds of rushing cars dominated the streets. The famous Strip was still alive though not in way of the glory days. The business of Vegas had moved from the shady grip of organized crime to the shady grip of corporate enterprise. The transition saw much of the place cleaned up and sanitized for the upper middle class and the ultra-wealthy.

It was in the seedier, forgotten areas of the city were certain elements of the old ways still remained. That was the place where Marisa McNeil plied her crafts. She had lived in the city all of her twenty-four years, though ravages of stress and smoke and booze sapped away much of youthful appearance such an age would imply.

For Marisa three in the morning was quitting time at work. Her street cloths acted as a uniform for a second job. She took a particular route home, one frequented by lonely travelers looking for some company. It wasn't the safest of jobs as any number of weirdos and degenerates might be lurking amongst them. But it was a risk Marisa had to take every now and again to make sure bills were paid. Her worst experience thus far had been a drunk white supremacist who thought that beating up a destitute black woman was a noble idea. He of course ended up learning his family jewels weren't as solid as he thought they were.

Tonight was one of those nights. Despite the wear and tear on her face, Marisa had found that most of those who requested her company were interested in other more resilient boons and assets. The woman took care to make sure that said boons and assets were welled displayed along with a set of fingerless gloves to give her a biker like appearance.

Marisa started her way home, her wild hair poofed up in a small afro. She entered the usually bustling street that was her cash cow.

The place was deserted tonight. Save for a single white woman standing in Marisa's way. The woman was dressed all in black. Her blonde hair was tied in a tight bun. She also wore thick glasses.

There was an awkward silence. Marisa chewed her lip a moment. The white woman started walking towards her. "Hello, Ms. McNeil. I'm Paige Austin and I've been waiting for you," she said.

"Unless you got some serious cash on you, you might as well go back to your fancy resort," Marisa said. By the looks of it she was throwing away a major paycheck. She wasn't against sleeping with this Paige Austin; she just wasn't going anywhere without a witness.

Austin shook her head. "I'm afraid that I'm not here for those services," she said.

"Then why the hell are you here?"

The other woman looked at Marisa's gloved right hand. It caused a chill to crawl down her back. Marisa clutched the offending hand. Austin took a step forward.

"There is a red mark on the back of your hand. I'd like to see it," Austin requested.

Marisa retreated back a foot. She started to pull off the glove. The glove hid a sort of tattoo that consisted of an isosceles triangle that pointed towards her fingers. Each corner of the triangle sent out a stem that connected to a circle in the center of the triangle. Another circle was present on either side of the triangle near her knuckles.

Austin closed in on Marisa. She grabbed the mark and examined. "You know what this is?" Marisa asked.

"I do. They are your Command Seals, marking you as a powerful mage," Austin said with an almost deathly seriousness. Marisa yanked her hand away from Austin.

"Mage as in…are you some crazy?" she demanded. "There ain't no magic in this world. Go pull this bull somewhere else. I think there's a church down the street to con."

Marisa pulled up her glove and brushed past Austin. She continued on to the motel where she and her daughter lived. She unlocked the door, quietly entered the room. Her daughter Mina was sleeping soundly on the far bed. The woman set her purse down.

She sat down at the tiny desk where there was a large stack of books. Above the desk was a calendar with the next Saturday marked. Marisa picked up one of the heavy books on the desk and quietly set it in front of her. It was a book for preparing for the GED test. She flipped it open, straining to read the text. The battle to study kept her from thinking about that crazy white chick.

The study attempt ended a couple hours later with Marisa collapsed in her book. "Mommy. Mommy?" Mina tugged at her shirt. Marisa struggled to get up for a moment. Her eyes opened to see her beautiful baby girl of age eight.

"Hey angel, are you hungry?" Marisa asked. Her daughter nodded. The woman got up and collected her book. "Well let's go."

The two walked down to a local diner. Mina was enjoying her breakfast when Austin stepped in to the facility. She sat behind the pair. Marisa felt the woman's eyes bore into the back of her skull.

When Mina went to the bathroom, Marisa took the moment to face Austin. "I told you I'm not interested in that snake oil you're pushing so get the hell away from," Marisa growled.

Austin shook her head. "I'm not pushing a fraud, Ms. McNeil. You are a mage. End of story," she coldly said.

"Then prove it. Show me some magic or something," Marisa demanded.

The woman in black sighed. "As you wish. Meet me here after work tonight," she said. Austin stood up from her booth and quietly left the diner.

Marisa spent the rest of the day studying and watching her daughter. That night at about three in the morning she blew by her usual overtime, the music of the club still rang in her ears and limbs still limber from dancing. She returned to the diner to find Austin outside. The other woman was clutching something in her hand.

"I see you came, are you ready Ms. McNeil?" Austin asked. Marisa nodded. "Very well."

Austin led Marisa around the corner and stretched out her hand, revealing a silver key. The woman in black turned it to the side as if unlocking a door. A _crack_ in reality emerged! It formed a doorway into some kind of stone hall!

Marisa gave herself a quick slap across her face. She walked around the inter-dimensional door. It was impossibly thin, next to invisible when examined from the side. Next she placed her hand through the doorway and it went inside.

The woman slipped into the stone hallway with Austin not far behind. The portal closed behind them. Marisa turned around to see a stone wall. Austin calmed the woman by opening the portal by placing her hand on a metal plate near the center of the wall.

"Don't worry, Ms. McNeil. Your daughter won't even notice you're gone," Austin said. The woman in black led Marisa down the hall.

"This is the Library Aeternum," Austin said. Marisa got lost in wonder as she wandered through the city-like layout of the Library.

The book cases would have reached the clouds if wasn't for what appeared to be a roof. She wound up in what felt like a corner. There she found what could only be described as a vast, inky black abyss. For whatever reason, Marisa felt like she could look into the blackness forever. Every now and then she swore she saw something move in the depths.

A hand grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her back. Austin of course was standing behind her. She let go of the shirt. "Be careful, Ms. McNeil. This place houses many things my mistress and I have encountered. Some are not meant to be disturbed," she said.

Marisa felt a lump form in her throat. She tried desperately not to look back. "So uh…what exactly is in there?" she asked between heavy breaths.

"Things that should not be," Austin curtly replied. She stared walking into the wilderness of books, Marisa in hot pursuit.

"So what do these Command Seals do exactly besides sit on my hand?" Marisa asked.

"The Command Seals marks you as a Master chosen to command a powerful Heroic Spirit, your Servant to fight in The Holy Grail War," Austin said with a sort of irritation.

"Wait the—"

"No, we merely call it that. What it is, is an omnipotent wish granter. Should you win, you are allowed a single wish from the Grail."

"Okay, how do you win?"

Austin turned around, bring Marisa to a stop. "Kill the other six Servants," she coldly answered.

Had Marisa put stock in the divine, she'd have called receiving such a gift a godsend. Though, considering she had to defeat six other Masters it wasn't much of a gift. Well an opportunity at any rate.

"And what are you in all this, the referee?" Marisa asked.

"My official title is Overseer. I make sure that the Masters keep the war a secret from and work to make sure to clamp down on anything that gets out."

Austin's cellphone rang. She answered it. "Yes mistress," she said. "As you wish." She hung up the call. Austin handed Marisa a business card. "Call me if you need something else." The woman in black left.

Marisa got to work studying magic. She threw herself into massive tomes of arcane knowledge. It didn't take her long for her to forget her other studies. The workings of magic, the use of mana, it all came to the woman far more easily than algebra and English.

She knew that if she wasn't prepared for the War: she would die and no one would be there to take care of Mina. Marisa would not stand for that outcome. So long as she didn't die, everything would be fine. She could go back and take the GED some other time or better yet if she won all the problems that had plagued her over the past few years could be whisked away.

It felt too good to be true; and when Marisa looked into the Holy Grail War to get a grasp of it, she found nothing save a small shelf that housed what were originally seven of the same book that described how to summon a servant. She tried to grab a second book only to find an impenetrable magical barrier preventing her from stealing it.

Stranger than the books, were the doors that lined the edges of the library. They were all marked and locked. When Marisa took a pair of translating glasses to them, they failed to translate the odd language. The language was written in a way that appeared to be a mix of the Germanic runic alphabet and Chinese symbols. There was no reference of it to be found anywhere.

After the fruitless search Marisa finally looked at the clock near the area she had used to study. It had been four days! Marisa rushed to the entrance and mimicked what Austin did earlier. The door opened up to outside her motel. She rushed through and up to her room. Everything looked the way it was one she left. Mina was asleep in bed. It was only seven in the morning and the same day that she left!

Marisa's head twitched a little. A wave of exhaustion rushed over her. She collapsed into a deep sleep on the floor.

Mina's gentle rubbing woke the woman almost immediately. The woman had only gotten about an hour of rest. "Mommy's got to make a call first sweetheart," Marisa grumbled. She rummaged in her phone. She pulled it out and the business card Austin, finally dialing the number.

"Yes, Ms. McNeil?" the blonde answered.

"I'd like to speak with you," Marisa growled.

"Of course, where should we meet?"

"Behind my apartment, now."

Marisa told Mina to stay put and that they'd go to breakfast after some business was done. The woman stormed out of her room and to the location she specified. Austin was waiting for her. Marisa grabbed the woman by the collar of her black suit and shoved her against the building.

"How do you know so much about the Grail War? I couldn't find jack about in that damn library but you seem to know all about it," Marisa hissed.

Austin locked eyes with her. "My mistress has been studying the Grail for years. She's the one who formulated how the War is supposed to work. Perhaps in her work she accidently turned it on," she said.

"So is this mistress of yours a Master too?"

"I'm afraid not. A Master is chosen based on having a wish."

"Why are you the Overseer then? Why not her?"

"Ms. McNeil, I am a very busy woman. If you don't have any meaningful questions, I suggest you let me go."

Marisa sighed and released Austin. "What about Mina, my daughter? Is she safe?"

Austin shook her head. "Once the War is on, there is no guarantee of safety for anyone."

She returned to the Library Aeternum; Marisa called her sister Marlena in Reno and requested for her to take Mina for a while. It was a call Marisa never wanted to make. Ever since her mom died and she dropped out of high school, she wanted to make it on her own. She wasn't proud of the life she lived. But now she was presented a chance to erase all the years of shame and debasement she suffered in the name of raising her child. It was her last shred of pride, but it was in the name of keeping Mina safe.

Once Mina was safely gone after a long, tearful departure, Marisa got to work preparing. She spent the equivalent of two years prepping for the war. Eventually she met Austin one more time to aid in the ritual used to summon a Servant. After that, Austin ceased communicating with her. Marisa ended up with Lancer. Not a bad draw.

Her Servant was a tall woman with long black hair and unabashed in her lack of modesty. Which was probably good considering the Servant wore a red and blue leotard into battle with only greaves and steel bracers for armor. She looked more like the cover girl for some kind of fashion magazine than a battlefront.

A fact which made Marisa very nervous as she watched Lancer engage a heavily armored, golden knight; and apparently, he was of the Saber Class. They were battling in the chasm between two towering bookcases. Lancer certainly had an edge on speed, delivering a flurry of blows in a matter of seconds. Yet Saber easily deflected the attacks with his strange sword.

Saber's Master was a redheaded white girl dressed in…funeral garb? Suddenly Marisa didn't feel so stupid for wearing the same jeans and t-shirt over the last few weeks.

The girl wasn't looking to well and she was the wrong target as well. With what appeared to be a powerful Servant, falling back felt like the best strategy at the moment. But Marisa wasn't sure if she could stop Lancer without using a Command Seal. The warrior was deep in the midst of battle. Her smile spoke of enthusiasm, determination, and pride. This was her first true battle of the Grail War. Sure the team had a few run-ins with their real target over the past few weeks.

The battle was quickly evolving into a graceful dance. The beat was that of clashing steel and the clank of armor. The melody was born of the light steps and ruffling of chainmail. Lancer was taking the lead with every step she took. Saber kept pace, deflecting and dodging with skill.

Each jab and parry quickened the tempo. Lancer kept her foe at a reasonable distance, just out of Saber's reach. Saber was starting to get frustrated despite keeping his form solid.

The tempo finally reached a fever pitch. Incredible feats of martial skill were performed with the greatest ease creating a surreal watch to say the least. Blade and spear disappeared in a whirlwind of motion, before reappearing when hit successfully landed. The act put to shame the scenes Marisa had seen in the movies. Despite looking and feeling human, the dancers hadn't even taken a deep breath or produced a drop of sweat after exchanging hundreds of blows.

The dance reached its climax with Lancer delivering an airborne downward thrust of her spear. Saber had to roll back quickly as Lancer came down. The impact created a small crater in the walkway. Everything started to slow as the participants tried to circle the other, but reversed their direction before they completely switch sides. Lancer was bearing her spear out towards her foe with menace. Saber kept his blade low, the tip just above the ground.

The encasing silence of the Library Aeternum seemed to have started watching for Marisa couldn't feel its presence around her in the lull. Or perhaps it was her beating heart keeping it away.

The swordsman made an advance, picking up the tempo with a series of alternating high and low strikes. He tried to get as close as he could to Lancer. It made her defense much bulkier. She compensated as best as she could. Her form was still at top notch but was struggling with the man within close range.

Marisa started walking towards the other Master. Maybe if she could talk her down, she could spare a Command Seal. The girl raised her hand in a strange gesture, probably preparation for a spell. Marisa raised a barrier around her.

"Listen kid, I'm not really interested in fighting you at the moment. Let's call this off and be on our way," she insisted. The girl shuffled back a step.

"You're a Master right? That makes you my enemy," the girl shot back. Her Texas accent shone through.

"Only if you want me to be," Marisa said.

The girl's brow ruffled. "Why don't you want to fight?" she hissed.

"Because we need to figure out the real purpose of this 'Holy Grail War,'" Marisa retorted.

"There's nothing to say. I'm here to win the wish so I can set things the way they are supposed to be," the girl calmly said.

"Please, call off your Servant and we can discuss this. I fear there may be more going on here then you think."

The girl watched the fight for a moment. "I don't…don't," the girl said.

"Please kid, I need your help," Marisa begged. The girl shook her head and started backpedaling. She unleashed a terrifying wall of fire. Saber disengaged and returned to his Master with a leaped over the flames. He rushed off.

Lancer came up to Marisa. The warrior was grinning. Her silver bracers gleamed in the odd lighting of the Library. "Should we go after them?" Lancer asked.

"No. We'll keep pursuing the German," Marisa ordered with a sigh. She stretched her arms a bit. The two started walking deeper into the Library.

"And if we run into Saber and his Master again?" Lancer followed up.

"Fall back. We focus on real threats," Marisa said.

"You don't think those two represent a threat?"

"Not like the German and his Servant."

"As you wish. The problem is there is little stopping Saber from attacking us. Especially with your little alliance strategy lacking any members," Lancer pointed out.

"I know, hopefully they'll be willing to listen if we run into them."

"If it isn't too bold, I must disagree with your course of action so far," Lancer said.

"You've mentioned it."

"You are the Master in our contract and I will follow you until I no longer can. But this is a mistake. We should focus on winning the Grail," Lancer said.

"I want to, but not until we stop the German and figure out what Austin and her mistress are up to."

 _To be Continued..._

* * *

A/N: So this chapter probably feels a bit staggered. I know I go from the start of Marisa's story skim the middle to back to the end of the last chapter. Sorry but I want to tie off what happened last chapter so you don't have to backtrack and reread chapter 3. Next chapter we'll cover that middle section then move on with Marisa's story.

Originally I was going to spell Marisa's name with an L instead of an R to give it that lovely Japanese feel. Then it occurred to me that then it would look like I spelled Melisa with another A and look stupid for it. Marisa was conceived as the counter point to Diana in most every way. I'm going to keep interaction between the two from always being antagonistic, if only for my sake.

Don't worry, after the next chapter we won't be dealing with the set up and crap again. Because then we'll have enough going on that I simply won't have time and the characters will have had more interaction so I can switch the POV without needing a ton of back tracking.

Fortunately this chapter was at least able to establish some important things about the LA.

Don't forget to leave a comment. It helps me know whats up because I am breezing through this.


	6. Chapter 5

_The following is a non-profit, fan work based off the work Type-Moon_

 _All character, events, and ideas belong to their original creators_

 _The Bluefire Phoenix Present…_

 _Fate/Crossroads_

Chapter 5: A Demon-Haunted World

Wafts of steam filled the bathroom used by Austin's mistress. The water vapor gently soothed the rough edges of exposed charred skin. It still looked creepily raw and exceptionally tender, with plenty of busted blisters exposing raw flesh.

The woman was sitting naked at the center of the chamber. Her breathing was meditative. A glowing blue sapphire was sitting in front of her. There was a mystic sounding chime, bringing the woman out of her trance. A wave of her hand over the sapphire dismissed the steam, revealing the beautiful marble bathroom. She rose to her feet in a graceful motion. The woman exited into a dressing room and wrapped a towel around her torso while a machine hanging above started wrapping her head up in fresh bandages.

It finished rolling the fabric, retracting into the ceiling. The woman left the dressing room into the main corridor. Her bare feet hardly made a sound as she glided down the sterile hallway. She stopped at the door of an airlock. Her delicate fingers elegantly punched in a code into the bizarre number pad.

The door began to retract upward into the ceiling. From the other side stepped out a tall man, draped in a long black cloak held by a large golden pin with a red jewel in the center. His graying hair was elegantly swept back. The man's face was sharp and commanding, yet emanated fatherly warmth.

"Answering your own door now?" The man asked with his brow slightly raised as he entered. His cloak gently towed behind him, revealing the red smoking jacket he wore underneath.

"I'm a little understaffed at the moment, my dear Doctor," the woman answered.

"Yes that blonde girl. What did you say her job was again?"

"She's my page, so to speak. Aide sounds too formal and servant feels…inappropriate. I asked her to stop with the whole mistress nonsense, but she persists in referring to me as such."

"Yes you've mentioned that before. I take it that she is in possession of the Library Aeternum at the moment?" he asked, eyeing her neck with suspicion.

The woman nodded her head. "I'm having her establish an archive for this branch," she explained. The man's brow rose at the statement. The man's lips twitched at her words. "She can handle it and if something arises I can be easily reached to help."

The Doctor still maintained a skeptical expression on his face. His hostess sighed. "Such ancient magic shouldn't be left in the hands of someone so…undertrained," the Doctor explained his problem.

The woman ran her thumb over her finger nails. "She's not doing anything dangerous," the woman assured. The man nodded, folding his arms over his chest.

"Do you think this branch really needs an archive in _the_ Library Aeternum?" the Doctor asked. The woman shrugged her shoulders, moving her left arm across her chest to keep her towel from slipping off.

"Probably not, but we need to learn the best way to create one," the woman explained. The doctor gave the woman an incredulous look, forcing her to take a defensive posture. "I agree that the previous owner would have ignored this branch, but since the place lacks an owner's manual I thought a test run on a less dangerous branch was the best course of action. I'm not in any condition to take on some Elder God and fortunately there doesn't appear to be any such monster lurking here."

The Doctor shook his head before he reached into his cloak and produced a vial filled with a cloudy, silver colored liquid. "Speaking of your condition, I have your order. Tears of a Phoenix, freshly gathered as per your request," he said with a practiced, theatrical flourish of the vial. The mysterious man handed it to the woman. She gently took the vial from his hand and examined it. Her eyes shifted from the strange tears to the Doctor. A distrusting expression emerging from under her bandages.

"Why are you really here? Usually you just send your oh-so-charming daughter," the woman commented. The man rolled his head up a little. He then refocused his attention to the woman.

"I heard a rumor floating around that someone in this region was interested in acquiring a Mana Generator," he said.

"Is that so? Though it is like you to indulge in idle gossip."

The Doctor nodded. "You're right. I usually avoid it, but I find it interesting that the only two people to ever escape the Black Zone happen to be in the same area where such an odd request is thought to have been made," he said.

"Profiling is unbecoming of a gentleman," the woman purred.

The man cocked an eyebrow. "I am merely warning you, my dear. Mana Generators are illegal for a reason. In the wrong hands the can be devastating beyond anything you can possibly imagine."

A slightly indignant frown twitched onto her lips. "I am a mage in my own right, not some apprentice bumbling in the workshop. You don't need to lecture me."

The doctor raised his hands in defense. "Your skill has never been in question. Even so, you are still new to _this_ way of life. I'm only looking out for you."

The woman turned about and started walking down the hall, waving the man goodbye. "Your concern is noted and appreciated. I'll see to it that the rest of your payment is delivered soon. Stop by when you have more time," she said. The Doctor nodded, seeing himself out.

The woman walked through the corridors to her throne room. She entered a code into the keypad different from the one Austin used to access the throne room. The entryway didn't open, instead a floor panel hissed behind her. There was a flight of stairs hidden underneath the panel. The woman let the towel around her torso nonchalantly slip a little as she walked down the stairs.

A large vault made up the room at the bottom of the stairs. It was filled with tons of strange relics and treasures. The woman placed the vial in a cabinet that contained several other vials. Her dainty fingers ran over the collection. She then gently walked over to an overview.

Below her was a huge machine with two massive green growing pylons with a veritable storm of bolts of green energy bridging them together. Near the center of the bridge, seven offshoots landed on seven assorted items. One of the objects started glowing more intensely. The burned woman started to smirk as the object faded back to normal.

She went to a flight of utility stairs and quickly descended to the foot of the strange machine. Her hands gripped the railing as she approached. There was a primitive hatch at the base it. The hatch was the only sign of access to the machine. The woman opened it with a flick of her wrist. A creepy pinkish light illuminated her face.

The woman's fingers started strumming against the railing. "Well it's a good thing that I'm not the wrong hands, isn't it Byron?" she quietly mused. She stuck her hand into the open hatch, unleashing a storm of energy bolts into it. The machine kicked into overdrive creating a massive storm in the chamber.

During her technical two years of preparation for the Holy Grail War, Marisa McNeil had a fear that she might tie in some horrific manner. A fear justified by the occasional explosion she heard in the distance. It was a testament to the impossible size of Library Aeternum. No matter how hard she tried to find another Master, she never could. She had a feeling that someone else had better luck. For occasionally she felt a pair of eyes pierce the foggy silence and fall on her.

The other Masters weren't the threat at moment though. It was Marisa's own Servant! The spirit held the tip of a long silver spear at her throat.

Marisa had summoned a woman; a tall woman at that, standing nearly six feet tall and built like a trueborn warrior. Her black reached down to the middle of her back. Every inch of her face reminded Marisa of a classic Greek statue that came alive. If the Servant's face was artistic pleasure, her body was militaristic pragmatism. Marisa could see toned taut muscles ripple as the woman extended her weapon at her throat.

What clashed with the Mediterranean woman's classic appearance was her outfit. She wore what appeared to be a leotard with a blue bottom section that was covered in white stars and a red upper half topped by what could be described loosely as a highly stylized 'w,' separated by a golden belt. The tiara on her head matched her belt.

Paige Austin, the at best enigmatic overseer of the Grail War, was standing in the corner. She was of course still wearing the same black suit she had used ever since they met. The blonde watched the event with the slightest hint of nostalgia in her green eyes. Then she vanished from the room.

The Servant finally retracted her weapon. "I am Pr…Lancer. Yes, I am the Lancer class for this Grail War and at your command," she said. Despite that moment of hesitation at the start, Lancer's voice extruded a level of confidence and pride that made Marisa shiver.

"Uh…hello?" Marisa said. She took a step forward. The Lancer class was a good Servant, fast and powerful. It would give her an advantage in forming alliances. Yet despite her status and pleasure at the situation, Marisa was quaking. Lancer noticed this with an embarrassed smile.

"Perhaps we should retreat to your base of operations?" Lancer suggested.

Marisa nodded. "I apologize for my initial hostility. I wasn't expecting…this," Lancer admitted as Marisa led her to the little hovel she was using as a base. It was filled with the few tomes Marisa had collected. The woman looked around, moving some things around to make space.

"So do you have a plan?" Lancer asked.

Marisa shrugged. "Yeah to figure—"

She held her thought as she set down a set of books. A handheld radio was sitting on the main table. Marisa tentatively picked it up.

"I take it that's not yours?" Lancer asked. Marisa shook her head no.

"Hello, Marisa," a man said over the radio. Lancer and Marisa exchanged a nervous glance. Marisa went to pick it up. "Don't bother with conversation, this is a prerecorded message. I'll make this brief. You and my Master are in excellent positions. You have a strong grasp of magic and my Master has summoned me. No doubt you have a quality Servant. We'd be interested in forming an alliance with you for the early stages of the War. Should you be interested, I'll be in the main chamber near the exit over the next hour."

The radio went silent. The women exchanged nervous glances. Marisa cleared her throat. "I say we check it out," she said. Lancer cocked an eyebrow. "I'm interested in building an alliance between the Masters. I don't trust this whole set up."

"Why? The Grail War is a sacred rite. One simply cannot 'fake' a war if that is your concern," Lancer insisted.

"Obviously you haven't spent much time with the Overseer. She'll give you the creeps if you aren't paying attention," Marisa grumbled. She started walking towards the exit. "Well are you coming?"

"Of course," Lancer said. She fell in step half a pace behind Marisa.

The pair reached the door out. Marisa looked around the large area. Her vision stopped on a strange figure standing atop one of the smaller bookshelves. The figure was rather lanky, or at least as far as Marisa could tell. It was surrounded by demonic-like cloak. His face was masked in the shadow formed by a hood hung over his head.

A cold stillness over took the chamber. Marisa swore she could hear something rattling just out of sight. Her heart beat was elevated. Lancer was at the ready, her weapon pointing at the figure.

"I'm so glad you came," the figure said. It was clearly a male voice that was dripping with condescension.

"Yes well…I'm the Master of Lancer. We're interested in your alliance offer. I think it will prove a most powerful block," Marisa introduced her team.

"Unfortunately Master of Lancer, your spot has already been filled," the figure said. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. Marisa heard something unlock and iron creak.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed around the chamber. Each step was followed by rattling chains. Heavy breathing followed. Lancer had pinpointed where the sound was coming from.

From one of the library's streets came another woman. She wasn't as tall as Lancer but had a similar build. Her right arm was enclosed in a heavy bundle of chains, her left and ankles held by metal cuffs. The bangs that framed her face were held together by blue bands, the rest of her long brown hair was free flowing. Her eyes were glowing white and a scowl of horrific pain was infused on her lips. She wore a blue ensemble that looked like it belonged to a tribal people from a polar region.

The new woman continued to come towards Lancer and Marisa. Her walk was somewhere between a wounded limp and a drunken stumble. She looked up at Lancer and bore her teeth. Her pathetic lumbering became an agile stride as she built up speed before launching herself with a gust of wind at the two.

Lancer pushed Marisa out of the way as the apparent servant prepared to lash at them with a length of chain from her arm. The metallic whip was deflected by Lancer's spear. The new servant created another burst of wind and landed behind Lancer.

The servant threw the chain whip at Lancer again, wrapping up her spear. The two entered a dead lock for the weapon. Lancer's strength was incredible. Her foe began to reel in the spear, looking for some added leverage.

When there was about ten meters between them, the attacking servant dropped to the ground and created a wave of fire with her feet!

Lancer had to jump up in the air to avoid the blast. Her foe recovered fast and yanked hard on her chain. Lancer was pulled forward. She used the momentum to cock back a fist. Her punch was enough to send her foe back at least twenty meters. The chain was released from the spear. Lancer launched forward, plowing the other Servant through a bookshelf.

Marisa was now all alone, the figure having scurried off as the fight broke out. She heard the cocking of a pistol and something pressed against her back. "Hello _Fräulein_ ," a man with a heavy German accent said from behind her. Marisa's eyes narrowed.

"So what are you, Servant or Master?" she dryly asked.

"I'm the master of course," the man growled.

"And you feel the need to carry a gun, why exactly?"

"No more questions _Fräulein_ ," the man said. Marisa threw up a barrier. It deflected a shot, giving Marisa a window to get away.

"Please, I've spent two years in here and the best you can do is pull that little toy?" she mocked.

The German was a skulking man, hunched over with frazzled brown hair. His brown eyes were twitching just a bit. He aimed the gun at Marisa again. She brought up another barrier, causing the incoming bullet to bounce away.

"Well you seem very skilled at magecraft," the German hissed. "But you'd better hope that Berserker kills your precious Lancer before I kill you."

The shadowy figure from before arrived on the scene. "Unfortunately, Berserker has gone off the edge. We're falling back for now," what must have been the German's Servant commanded. The German mumbled something before throwing down a smoke bomb.

Lancer arrived only seconds later. She was covered in a few scrapes and scratches. "Well that wasn't good," she said.

"No, not at all. What happened to Berserker?" Marisa asked. Lancer shrugged.

"She got bored or something I guess. Personally, I'm now definitely against allying with that guy."

"Agreed, and I think taking him down should be our primary goal. It should be easy to bring in other Masters to stop him," Marisa insisted.

Weeks of hunting later and the woman felt like those words had jinxed her. Her fateful encounter with Saber and his Master turned out to be a bust. That had been Marisa's only other run in with another team. The German had appeared to have slipped her grasp. She was thinking of returning to Earth finally. Her attention was focused on a grimoire while waiting for Lancer to return with a scouting report.

Marisa looked up when she thought she heard papers rustling somewhere not far away. She stood up and looked around. Her eyes landed on a man standing almost thirty meters away. There wasn't much detail she could make out but the man appeared to be dressed like a Catholic priest.

He disappeared after a second. Marisa rubbed her eyes. She was rewarded with an explosive headache. Her hands went to her forehead and she began to claw at the skin.

All she could see was a vision of vicious fire and lightning…

Of burning buildings and corpses...

Of horrifying calamity and death…

Without Lancer's strengthening grasp of her shoulder, Marisa might have been trapped in the hell that was the prison of her mind. "What is it?" the warrior asked.

"I don't know, it was like…like all the evil in the world was just poured into my head and I couldn't turn away from it," I said. I was trying not to break down.

"What happened?"

"I saw a priest I think then…then…then…"

"I'm sorry, let's just drop it. Berserk is in Flagstaff, Arizona. She hasn't done anything yet but it might be wise to move in now," Lancer insisted. Marisa nodded in agreement. The two quickly made it to the exit and entered the sunny late summer of Arizona.

 _To be Continued..._

* * *

A/N: This is the corner stone chapter. I think you should be able to put together a more interesting picture of what's going on now. This will be the last chapter with Marisa for a while. We'll be back with Diana next time.

Don't forget to review.


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